If I cant squat and dead lift, does that mean that there is no way for me to grow? I injured my back about 10 months ago squatting and haven't lifted much of anything since. Going to the doc, doing the rehabilitation thing. Still in alot of pain. Does that mean I'm just screwed? . .

Might as well throw in a quote from AnimalMass since it's completely relevant to the above post..Heavy compounds, frequency, ect..

3) And for that matter, EVERYONE’S program should be centered around these exercises: Full Squat, Deadlifts (or cleans or both), heavy barbell rows, bench press, and Standing Barbell Military/Push Presses. The most effective training is simple and hard.

try to squat for 5 sets of 5 reps using only 10lbs less than your five rep max. Having said that a strenght athletes routine may not be 100% optimal for a bodybuilder but there are a lot of things people could learn from strength trainers.

1. Should you use 5x5 rep and set scheme for all of those exercises? Or any scheme works as long as you choose those. I want my training to be equally focused on muscle and strength gains.

2. 5x5 squats with 10 lbs less than 5Rm. Okay if I do this, what should I do the next workout? up the weight by 5 lbs each time until I stall or what?

Very nice explanation. I've been in the gym for almost 4 months and I think I'm not getting any bigger. I notice some slight definitions on my body though. Nothing more. During my 3 months, I only did isolation isolation exercises. The only compound exercise that I did was an improper bench press. Until now, my chest is not getting any fuller. I started doing squats and deadlifts just last week.